benefit of the doubt

noun

1. a favorable opinion or judgment adopted despite uncertainty.

Word History and Origins

Origin of benefit of the doubt¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

The magistrates agreed that “given the state of the postal system” they'd give Khan the benefit of the doubt and another trial date would be set.

From BBC

“Some of us, I don’t know why, want to give the president the benefit of the doubt and try to see what’s going to happen, as opposed to reacting before something actually happens,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

And many Americans, men and women alike, simply seem to give power-seeking men the benefit of the doubt, while ratcheting the bar up impossibly high for power-seeking women.

From Slate

They “rationalize his rhetoric, by affording him a reverse benefit of the doubt. They doubt; he benefits.”

From Salon

And when evidence suggests that prosecutors ran afoul of due process, they are not entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

From Slate